St. Augustine residents question investigation

The morning after a documentary aired on an investigation into Michelle O’Connell’s death, a St. Augustine story that has drawn national attention, some residents voiced concern over how the investigation was handled.

On Sunday, the New York Times published an article that outlined several issues with the case, identified by independent experts, and brought into question the integrity of the investigation by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office.

“I think they made a lot of mistakes on this case,” said Ruth Bloom.

The case began in September 2010 after O’Connell was found dead from a gunshot wound to the mouth at the home she was sharing with Sheriff’s Deputy Jeremy Banks, her boyfriend at the time. He said she shot herself after they talked about breaking up.

Family said she had planned to leave Banks the night she died, and that she would not have killed herself as Banks said she did. She would not have left behind her young daughter. They said they were not consulted by investigators for statements following O’Connell’s death and that Banks was never treated as a possible suspect.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement did its own investigation, and Sheriff David Shoar later claimed one of the FDLE investigators acted inappropriately.

Banks, who returned to work after being on paid leave, is suing the FDLE and the department’s lead agent who investigated O’Connell’s death, claiming his civil rights were violated and that the department and the investigator tried to accuse him in what had been already ruled a suicide.

The Tuesday night ‘Frontline’ PBS documentary follows the case’s development and the family’s grief over what they viewed as insufficient action on behalf of O’Connell. Family members also express their disbelief after new investigators are called in to review the facts and a special prosecutor ultimately decides the evidence did not support accusations that a crime had been committed.

The nine-month investigation by the New York Times in conjunction PBS criticized the handling of the investigation. Among other things, independent experts said Banks should have been treated differently at the scene of the crime and that information by a medical examiner was incorrect.

Opinions in the community

Some people out and about the day before Thanksgiving did not know about the story in the NYT or the documentary. Those who did, had strong opinions.

One man at the St. Johns County Courthouse said he thought the case should be reopened and another man who stood outside a local restaurant said he thinks this sort of thing happens all the time.

Bloom and Marsha Williams said they believed the case had not been handled properly by St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office investigators.

“I think it was done much too quickly,” Williams said.

“It feels like it was a cover up.”

Bloom said she felt Shoar was too quick to defend in this case.

Shoar has backed Banks, saying on video published by the New York Times and PBS that he would stake his 33-year career on Banks’ innocence.

Bloom said she hopes any future cases involving an officer would be handled differently, and that the FDLE will be called in immediately.

In downtown St. Augustine at Price’s Barber Shop, Steve Howell finished his haircut and walked outside. Howell, a former law enforcement officer from outside of the county, had opinions about the case based on documents provided by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office on its website.

Howell, who said he knew Shoar, had not seen the Times story but said he had read the documents provided by the sheriff.

“I think it was a suicide,” he said.

He said he believed the FDLE investigation was flawed.

“There was just something terribly wrong about the FDLE investigation.”

Connie Tyler and her husband, from Bonita Springs, spoke outside of City Hall. She said she had read the New York Times article and “couldn’t believe it.”

“It just seemed the police didn’t try too hard.like they were protecting him,” she said.

Leslie Poe, of St. Augustine, sat with a group of people outside of the Starbucks off A1A Beach Boulevard. She said she had read the story and it appeared officers had not investigated the scene properly. She said she thought Banks should have been investigated further.

“It was his gun, and he was home,” she said.

Her opinion of officers involved was “that they were completely oblivious to the facts that were right there in front of them,” she said.